A Peer Tutoring Program Outline
A peer tutoring program can be the very thing that a school needs to pull itself together. It gets a wide range of different students working together, produces positive results in testing, and can help promote school spirit. All of this can be very beneficial for the students, as a positive and useful experience in high school can prepare them for a successful experience in university and beyond. As long as both the teachers and the students are able to work together properly, a peer tutoring system that can provide language tutors, for example, should be successful.
Research is the first step when creating a tutoring program. Administrators cannot suddenly decide to implement peer tutoring and expect it to work. Once the decision to explore the possibility of a peer tutoring system has been made, administrators should make the idea known to students and see what kind of response they get. This can be done during an assembly, through surveys or as an announcement at the end of classes. If there is a positive response, then the next steps can be taken for student peers to become English and/or math tutors, or any other subject.
The way peer tutoring programs usually work is through the pairing of students. Usually those in the top of the class, such as those getting A’s in certain subjects, will be assigned to work with students at the other end of the academic spectrum, such as those failing or struggling to maintain even C averages. Some schools have had great success by allowing the students to choose each other, and in some cases letting students advertise themselves as providing a tutoring service. Each school will need its own approach, and this can be determined again through proper research.
Payment is not always found in peer school tutoring programs, but it can provide positive results. Payment can be in the form of money, given to the student by the school, not the student being tutored; or it can be in the form of other types of rewards. This could be anything from cafeteria food to points that build up to be used in field trips. Without payment, these programs will only go so far. Maximum success will result from a financial investment made by the school.
A tutoring program can be excellent in concept but it really takes the hard work of students and the administrators involved to make it succeed. With success, however, will come higher grades, stronger relationships between students, and a chance at a better future for the students involved. Administrators can also see progress with their school rising in terms of academic achievements and school spirit. A tutoring system that is properly implemented can be the answer to a lot of schools’ problems.
Beth Kaminski is the co-author of Curing Your Anxiety And Panic Attacks which detailed treatment for anxiety attacks as well as tips on the various anxiety attack medication available at anxietydisordercure.com.
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